Get ready to cause chaos and take over the city in Saints Row! Developed by Volition and published by Deep Silver, this action-adventure game reboots the popular Saints Row series and the fifth main instalment. Released on August 23, 2022, Saints Row is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Google Stadia. The game is set in the fictional city of Santo Ileso, loosely based on Las Vegas. It has us following a group of four friends who start their own outlaw gang called The Saints.

A Truly Open World Game

In Saints Row, you’ll play from a third-person view as you navigate the open world on foot or by vehicle. You’ll have access to various firearms and tools to fight against enemies, and you can even call in non-playable gang members to assist you. As the gang’s leader, nicknamed “the Boss,” you’ll have highly customisable traits to make your character unique. Outside of the main story, you can freely explore Santo Illeso and engage in several different side activities. And if you want to team up with a friend, the game also includes a cooperative online multiplayer mode, allowing two players to play through the single-player campaign together while progressing in their own game. To make the open-world narrative even more interesting, the creators of Saints Row decided to bring back the winning combination of drama and comedy that made earlier games in the series so popular.

Expansive Gameplay with a Variety of Activities 

Playing in Saints Row, you’ll be expected to complete missions with set objectives to progress through the main story. But don’t worry, you’ll also be free to explore the game’s world and complete optional side activities. The game’s setting, the fictional city of Santo Ileso, is broken down into nine districts, which you’ll need to take over in the name of your gang, The Saints. As you conquer each district, you’ll earn certain benefits and be able to launch illegitimate businesses with legitimate fronts to help finance and benefit your gang. Saints Row also features more vertical areas and tools that allow you to utilise the city’s layout. And when it comes to driving, the gameplay has been improved from previous Saints Row games to encourage the use of vehicles as weapons themselves alongside guns. 

The Combat is a Bit Lame, But Exciting Enough

The combat system in Saints Row is fast and effective. There’s no proper cover system, so circle-strafing and occasional execution moves are key tactics. This helps replenish your health mid-fight, simplifying the setup and eliminating the need to scramble for medkits or fumble with a consumables menu. While the combat isn’t as flashy as what we experienced in Doom Eternal, it’s still a neat setup that lets you recover from damage without hassle. You can also bind special abilities to four hotkeys, with everything from flaming punches to shooting through walls at your disposal. However, traditional skills like throwing grenades and activating temporary armour remain the go-to for most firefights, making for a mostly conventional experience.

Get Ready to Purchase Series of Businesses

I love the business and financial aspects of Saints Row almost as much as I love the combat and gallivanting. Saints Row allows you to buy as many businesses as you wish, making you stock up your money until it becomes crazily abundant.

As you advance through the story and strengthen your gang’s hold on the streets of Santo Ileso, you’ll have more criminal ventures available for purchase. Buying a business and completing its missions will increase the Saints’ hourly revenue, giving you more cash to spend on weapons and clothing. You don’t have to buy all the available ventures to complete the game’s campaign, but purchasing about half is mandatory to unlock the final story missions. I made it my personal mission to buy them all since I simply loved owning them.

The Rewards for Acquiring the Business are Usually not as Satisfying

While it’s always fun to acquire new businesses, the rewards you will get for owning the properties aren’t always worth the money you’ll spend. For instance, I was so glad when I raised enough money to purchase the karate club, and I believed that opening a karate dojo inspired by Cobra Kai would be worth the effort of raising the $1.6 million cost. However, my reward was a few awkward beat ’em up sections that were difficult to control, similar to Yakuza’s street fights. When I eventually reached the heist missions in the game, I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be involved in the robbery. Instead, I had to take pictures of security cameras and entrances to the target location during the setup phase. Then, I had to wait in the car while the rest of my gang went inside, wearing ex-President’s masks. It felt like Point Break without the point, and even though I was the designated getaway driver, I felt like I was the one being robbed. Well, it means more money to own more stuff, and eventually own the city.

There’s Not Enough Interactivity with the Environment 

Since the days of Grand Theft Auto V, we’ve expected more from open-world games, including the level of interactivity. We like to be able to use the things around us. Unfortunately, the open world of Santo Ileso lacks the expected level of interactivity that we’ve grown accustomed to in modern games. Granted, they have all these features like arcade game cabinets and ATMs designed in the game setting, but we cannot use them. It’s quite annoying because you get to do these things in other open-world games, you pick up Saints Row, and you feel kind of handicapped. 

There’s also the fact that you can’t ride bicycles. I love bicycles. While bicycles can be knocked out of their stands, they cannot be ridden. Too bad. Additionally, a significant portion of the game world is occupied by massive casinos that players are not allowed to enter, let alone gamble in. I feel bad that we can only interact with the world by shooting, jumping, or destroying elements of it. While Santo Ileso serves as a visually impressive backdrop for chaotic gameplay, it ultimately fails to provide a fully immersive experience for players. Hopefully, these issues will be fixed in subsequent developments.

Conclusion 

Saints Row is an interesting open-world game that offers many customisation options and over-the-top action that comes as a welcome improvement from the previous games in the series. However, some flaws needed revisiting. Despite these flaws, the series has a dedicated fan base that enjoys the game’s unique blend of humour and action. Overall, if you’re looking for a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously and offers many fun and customisation options, the Saints Row series is worth checking out.